Families homeless after blaze destroys houses

Five families have spent the night in emergency accommodation after a bushfire in Coolbellup destroyed one home and left four others uninhabitable.

The blaze started in a reserve behind Paddington Court and caused an estimated $1 million damage.

The city of Cockburn says affected residents remain in good spirits and are being offered support.

Mayor Logan Howlett says it could be a while before they are allowed to return.

"It's going to take some time I think for insurance claims, work to be done, and the homes re-established to what they were before," he said.

Coolbellup resident Glen McLeod lost his home in the blaze.

He says the family is coming to terms with what happened.

"Really I got a call at work from a friend who said there'd been a bushfire close to our place and was it anywhere near home and I said 'I don't know but I'll make a call to my wife' who was fortunately out," he said.

"Then later on our son came home and he called back to my wife and the police and the guys had let him through and he said the house had gone."